November 4, 2007

by The Rev. Constance Jones

Luke 19:1-10

Last Sunday, after a spirited but far from conclusive session in the Parish Hall
on what’s going on these days in the Episcopal Church and why,
a Grace Church parishioner said to me,
I want to hear sermons that point out how I have fallen short of what God expects of me,
that’s what I want to hear!
There’s a word used in evangelical circles that puts it even more strongly,
that sermons ought to “convict” the hearer.
Maybe it means that their convictions are to be appealed to,
but it sounds a bit more like trying and convicting them of their sins.

I confess that I am not keen on pointing out other people’s sins,
since I’d need to point out my own first!
I am not keen on finger-pointing at all,
and I further confess to having a tendency
to focus on about God’s mercy more than God’s judgment.

But I thank this parishioner for doing something so bold
as to say what he is looking for in sermons.
Maybe we’ll have a Sunday forum one day
to think and discuss together just what sermons are for!

Anyway, while my mind was running in these channels this past week,
along comes today’s Gospel,
a startling and deceptively-simple story about Zacchaeus.
It’s really related to the issue of sermons,
but I need to jump into the story first.

Zacchaeus is described in the story as being short,
so he climbs a tree to see over the crowd as Jesus passes by.
Now, first of all, it’s interesting that Zacchaeus’ stature is mentioned,
because practically nobody in the Old or New Testaments is physically described.
So when there are descriptions,
we conclude that this is an especially vivid story,
or that there’s a specific meaning to the trait. .
Zacchaeus’s shortness explains why he’s in the tree, for instance,
but it also might stand for his short-sightedness,
or some besetting sin that keeps him from “standing tall.”

And sure enough, he is a tax collector,
that persistently despised class of people who were collaborators with Roman rule.
Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus, moreover, is not just incidental.
Because Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem to die,
nothing in the narrative is incidental.
Everything carries great significance.

So ........ what happens?
Zacchaeus wants to see Jesus. There’s a crowd. So he climbs a tree.
Here the story takes a twist,
because instead of just seeing Jesus, Jesus sees him.
Not only sees him, but recognizes him and calls him by name.
Zacchaeus, Jesus says, come down from that tree.
Because I’m coming to stay at your house today.
Make me dinner and a place to sleep .......I’m coming to your house.

Those close to Jesus are irritated.
There he goes again choosing sinners over the righteous to eat with!
But Zacchaeus leaps from the tree, overjoyed!
So overjoyed to be Jesus’ host that on the spot he promises to
give half of all he owns to the poor (far more than the required tenth)
and compensate anyone he’s cheated four-fold (more than required in Jewish law).

It’s so important to see the order of events here.
First, Zacchaeus looks for Jesus,
Next Jesus calls him by name,
having seen him for who he is.
Immediately Jesus accepts him and says he’s coming to his house.
The nay-sayers are ignored.
Zacchaeus rejoices, does penance, and is transformed.

This story is about the personal transformation of one man.
But all who have ears to hear
are invited to find themselves in the story, because it is about us.
We are invited, to use another phrase
to be “convicted” by the story.
But were are also expected to notice how God behaves.

God does see us, convict us of our sins, see right through us.
But God doesn’t invite us to point the finger at other sinners,
only at ourselves.
Moreover, God does not make repentance a precondition for salvation.
Notice that Jesus sees Zacchaeus through and through immediately,
sees why he is short, or has fallen short of what God calls him to be.
Jesus even calls him by name.
But Jesus does not humiliate him, condemn him, or abase him.
Rather, he announces he’s coming to Zacchaeus’ house before Zacchaeus repents.

There are times when I wonder
just what people coming to church are looking for.
These days you don’t have to go to church to be respectable.
There are plenty of attractive things to do on Sunday mornings.
Come for the beautiful liturgy, the music, the community?
All good things, but as the prophet Isaiah points out,
not legitimate reasons for church.
We must have the right purpose.

Which is ........ to bring our authentic selves to an encounter with the living God.

A frightening prospect it is, of course, to open ourselves to the full view of Jesus.
But it is our only hope –
that he will see us in whatever tree we are stuck in, in all our shortcomings,
and say he is coming to our house today.

But.............
There’s another side to this, isn’t there?
Maybe today isn’t the right day, we say.
The house isn’t clean.
Which is to say, it is filled with our accumulated messes ,
our unfinished sorrows,
our mistakes that cannot be scrubbed clean.
We are sick with worry,
we have secrets too dark to tell,
we have anger so deep-seated that it frightens even us,
we are sick with worry, but powerless to fix things,
we hold onto our grief as if we could hide under its mantle,
we have sins we fear even God couldn’t forgive.

But oh my God, would you really come to my house?

Yes, says God. I must come.
I am come. And today salvation is on your house.

This, my friends, is the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is it.
Do you need evidence?
Come forward at Communion and reach out your hands and taste it.
It is true.
God calls you by name and comes.

Remember, though, this is about our own lives,
not other people’s.
And it is all about what happens next after Jesus calls us by name.
How will we respond?
Need I mention that Zacchaeus immediately thought
of giving away far more money than was reasonable?
Watch for that stewardship letter!

But it is about changing your life.

Jesus says,
Whatever tree you are in, and you know exactly what it is,
turn in Jesus’ direction and reach out.
How do you do that?
Pray. Call him by name.
You might begin with confession –
you could find a priest, a therapist, a friend, or maybe a 12-step program.
Then find out, maybe to your surprise,
that God knows you already, has already pardoned you.
Then ........ accept the pardon. Come down from the tree.
And set your house in order.
For the Lord who made the universe is coming to stay with you.
Fix what can be fixed, and give away what can’t be fixed.
Give away your sin and your money.
Get out of that tangled tree of yours.
Turn, turn, towards the God who made you,
who loves you, who forgives you,
and who is coming to stay with you. Yes you!
And rejoice!
Saying, Thanks be to God.

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